Midnight Swim
by Demosthenes23
Summary: *Loch Ness Murdoch spoilers* What DID William whisper to Julia? And what would have happened if she hadn't had a brush with death? ONE SHOT


Julia looked out across the moonlit lake as she impatiently waited for William to get changed. The water was so still and inviting, it was hard to imagine that a dinosaur could possibly live within those serene depths. But it was more fun to believe in the improbability than to be discouraged by the impossibility of such a thing, and she wondered just how scared she would really be if the killer dinosaur made itself known to them tonight. Admittedly, she didn't want such a thing to happen for several reasons, chief among them was not wanting to become fish food, but more than that, she was revelling in the opportunity to get to spend time with William, alone and uninterrupted. Such a thing was quite the rarity these days, though she supposed it always had been, even when they had been together all those years ago.

_What on earth is taking him so long?!_

"Come along, William!"

Almost immediately he opened the changing room door and she had to wonder if he had been ready for awhile but had been too embarrassed to showcase himself. As soon as she took in the sight of him, she had to laugh. It was not because she found him amusing looking but rather because she was so happy that he had agreed to put on a swimsuit in the first place! She was delighted that this was really happening!

"Is it that bad?" he asked cautiously, glancing down.

Julia was annoyed that his first response was negativity. He was always so self conscious about himself and his body, especially around her, that it never failed to bother her. She found him to be extraordinarily handsome and wished he could see it too. She wished she could show him just how attractive she truly found him but that could never fully happen until they were married.

In any case she would do the best she could with words. "Quite the opposite! All that cycling's been to your benefit!"

As he approached her, his well toned physique became even more apparent behind his black swimwear and she was beginning to feel all hot and bothered. A swim might help to cool things down.

"Perhaps we should stay on land."

There was no way on earth that they weren't going in that water!

"Nonsense, William, we can see it just as well from the water as the beach. We can spot a Plesiosaur from a mile away."

William attempted to correct her assessment but all she could do was laugh and grab his hand and pull him towards the lake. Abruptly he stopped talking and they quickly made their way to the waters edge. The heat wave had kept the temperature that of a nice bath.

"The waters lovely, William!"

"Yes, that it is, Julia."

She wanted them to be as alone as humanly possible in this setting, but still remain within close distance to the shore lest the dinosaur should appear, so she led him out only a little further, away from the prying eyes of the beach goers and the lanterns in the water, until they could just barely stand on the sandy terrain.

Neither of them said anything for awhile and just stared at one another as he held onto her waist oh so gently. Gradually the tiny smirk that had graced his lips blossomed into a full blown smile and she just had to know what was so funny.

"What are you thinking?"

He moved in closer and whispered, "I wish we weren't wearing any clothes."

His unusually amorous mood both shocked and delighted her.

"William!" she gasped and giggled. He chuckled with that throaty laugh she loved so much but rarely heard. She liked to think it was reserved just for her.

William kissed her and she let the blissful feeling wash over her entire body as it had done countless times before. She didn't think she would ever tire of the sensation or of kissing him. They continued in this somewhat sweet manner for a little while until he pulled her flush against him, the kisses coming more urgently and deepening at the same time. He was wearing far less material than usual and she feel him beginning to get aroused. This in turn made her all hot and bothered again and she wished the water was much cooler than it actually was. And even more than that, she wished the same thing that he had whispered to her so naughtily. If no one else had been there, she would have been sorely tempted to grant his wish.

His hands were tight on her waist and hers were running through the back of his hair, so that when she felt something touching her foot, she knew it was not an errant limb. Slightly startled, she nevertheless ignored the touch because she was enjoying herself too much. But a short while later she felt something brush against her foot again and she lost her cool.

Reluctantly pulling away she said, "William! There's something touching me!"

He gazed at her with eyes full of passion and frowned. "Stay here, I'll check it out."

She didn't know how he expected to see anything but she also didn't want to be interrupted again, or worse, have something bad happen to them, so she just nodded and he dived under.

He was under for more than twenty seconds and she began to panic. "William!"

The next thing she knew she felt a sharp tug on her leg and she was pulled under. Forgetting herself completely she screamed, losing a good deal of precious oxygen. But then a hand clamped over her mouth and turned her around. William was doing his best to hold back a laugh and she hit him once in the chest, probably harder than she should have.

They resurfaced and she scolded him verbally, though not that seriously. "That was an awful trick to play on me!" Patting her head. "_And_ you ruined my hair!"

William just chuckled and dived under again and before she knew what was happening he had lifted her onto his shoulders, the front of her skirt covering his face completely.

Since he was holding onto her thighs (a sensation that she was unaccustomed to, making her take a sharp intake of breath) he couldn't very easily move it away.

"Little help here, Julia?"

She crossed her arms even though he couldn't see it and said, "I don't see why I should. Your abominable conduct should not be forgiven so easily."

"Have it your way then," he said far too merrily, flinging her backwards in a very ungentlemanly way.

She sputtered to the surface, hair completely undone now and fully intended to chastise him some more but when she saw just how happy he was, she couldn't help but smile. He reached out and tried to grab her but she dodged him and dived under between his legs resurfacing behind him. Then she jumped up on him and latched on like an octopus.

"Now I've got you," she whispered into his ear.

"We'll see about that!"

He tried to shake her off but couldn't so he took both of them under the water. Still she refused to let go and when he finally resurfaced he said, "All right, Julia, you win."

_Not yet_, she thought.

Julia let go and he turned around to face her again. He was about to kiss her when she put her hands on top of his head, jumped up and pushed with all her might. He wasn't expecting it so he collapsed under her weight and crashed beneath the water.

When he came up for air he was laughing hard and so was she. She ran away from him, still laughing and he chased after her. Closer to the shore she felt herself being scooped up and into the strong arms of her beloved. Julia threw her hands around his neck and kissed him once. William carried her over to a more secluded place, around the bend and away from scrutiny.

Gently he deposited her onto the towels they had previously laid out and then plopped down beside her. She snuggled up to him and he embraced her and they just lay there in silence for some time.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him again.

He smirked. "That we failed our investigation most miserably."

"I don't think so," she said coyly, walking her fingers up his chest.

He smiled at that and kissed her and then she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing. I just wish we could stay like this forever."

"As do I."

He took her hand and for one fleeting second she thought he was going to propose but then he simply pointed it at the night sky, outlining some stars. "That's Perseus." He did the same to another patch of them. "And that's Andromeda...and that's Cetus," he said outlining a gigantic, yet faint constellation. "Andromeda's mother, Cassiopeia, boasted about her daughters beauty, saying she was more lovely than the Nereids. Poseiden became enraged and sent Cetus, who was a terrible sea monster, to kidnap Andromeda. Perseus rescued her and then claimed her for his own."

"Claimed?" she said a bit annoyed. "So she had no choice in the matter?"

"It was a different time back then."

"Back then?" she said laughing. "William, this is mythology."

"You know what I mean. The Greeks lived in an age where it was perfectly acceptable for a man to have his pick of women. I'm not condoning this conduct, I'm just saying that's how it was."

Julia frowned. "Unfortunately I don't think things have changed much since then. My father tried to marry me off to many rich men before I went off to medical school. They were all so tedious and boring and openly mocked my aspirations to become a doctor."

"Surely they were not all like that?"

"No, not all...there were a few who were less vile...even moderately attractive, but even if one had been the most handsome man I had ever seen, with the most pleasing manners, I doubt very much that I would have accepted a marriage proposal. I was far too intent on making something of myself and not just becoming someone's wife."

"And now?" he said quietly, looking at her closely. "Would you consider it now?"

Her heart beat quickened. Was he asking her what she thought he was?

"Yes, I believe I would," she said airily.

"Very good," he said smiling broadly, "because there's something I've been meaning to ask you, Julia."


End file.
